It’s the Battle of the Best Actress Nominees in ‘Mary Queen of Scots’

Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie went head-to-head for best actress at this year’s Oscars and both lost to Frances McDormand. Soon the two also-rans will battle on the big screen as rival royals in the lavish biopic “Mary Queen of Scots.” The film’s first trailer has just been released.

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS - Official Trailer [HD] - In Theaters DecemberCreditCreditVideo by Focus Features

Ms. Ronan, who was born in the Bronx to Irish parents and emigrated to Ireland when she was 3, takes the title role, while the Australian Ms. Robbie plays Queen Elizabeth I, a role that won an Academy Award for Judi Dench (“Shakespeare in Love”) and two nominations for Cate Blanchett (“Elizabeth” and “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”). Beneath a curly red wig and stark white makeup, Ms. Robbie is almost unrecognizable here.

The 16th-century game of thrones that took place between these two queens has been depicted several times before; the 1971 film “Mary, Queen of Scots” cast Vanessa Redgrave as the titular Protestant ruler, with Glenda Jackson as her Catholic competitor. Ms. Redgrave earned an Oscar nomination, while Ms. Jackson had to settle for a Golden Globe nod.

This latest version may resonate among feminists. The trailer depicts a member of the patriarchy bemoaning the idea of “wise men servicing the whims of women,” while Mary assures Elizabeth, “I know your heart has more within it than the men who counsel you.”

The new “Mary Queen of Scots” was directed by Josie Rourke, who is stepping down next year as artistic director of the influential Donmar Warehouse theater in London, and adapted from John Guy’s biography by Beau Willimon, no stranger to palace intrigue from his days running Netflix’s political serial “House of Cards.” The new film hits theaters on Dec. 7.